An Evening with Marc Shaiman: Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 7:00 pm

Tickets: $50 includes an autographed copy of Marc’s best-selling memoir!

Broadway in Worcester is delighted to welcome legendary composer, lyricist, and music producer Marc Shaiman for an unforgettable evening celebrating his New York Times best-selling memoir, Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner. From Hairspray to Sister Act, Smash to South Park, Shaiman has shaped the sound of Broadway and Hollywood for decades — and now he's telling all.

Expect an evening of candid conversation, surprising stories, and live music as Shaiman takes us behind the curtain on a life lived entirely in the spotlight. Whether you're a movie fan, a lifelong theater devotee or simply love a great story well told, this is a night you won't want to miss. Additionally, Marc will be joined in performance by special guests including Worcester native Michael Skrzek, fresh off the national tour of Some Like It Hot, as well as Worcester Public School students performing music from Hairspray.

New York Times best-selling author Marc Shaiman is a renowned American composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his work across film, television, and theater. Shaiman began his career as a musical director and arranger for Bette Midler before expanding into film scoring. He gained prominence with his work on films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, A Few Good Men, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, on television with SNL, and on recordings with Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey. Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the Broadway musical Hairspray alongside his longtime co-lyricist Scott Wittman. The duo has also co-created the musicals Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It Hot, and Smash. He has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys. Marc Shaiman is celebrated for his versatile, emotionally resonant music and his ability to blend classic musical theatre sensibilities with modern storytelling. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband, Lieutenant Commander (ret) Lou Mirabal. 

Jared Bowen is the host of The Culture Show, a daily radio program and podcast on 89.7 GBH. He is also the Emmy award-winning Executive Arts Editor at GBH exploring the creative process through a lively mix of local and national artist profiles, performances and exhibitions. Jared is a special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and covers the latest happenings in the region’s theater, art, music, dance and film scenes on GBH’s Morning Edition and Boston Public Radio. He is the moderator of the Boston Speakers Series at Symphony Hall conducting interviews with figures ranging from world leaders to Nobel laureates to Oscar-winning actors. He is a member of the Boston Theater Critics Association and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He has won multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Awards for his arts reporting and is a recipient of the Commonwealth Award, recognizing achievement in the arts, humanities and sciences. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society and a member of the American Antiquarian Society. Jared began his career at Dateline NBC in New York, is a graduate of Emerson College and holds an honorary doctorate from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.